The following article has been submitted by “CovertFade,” a non-disfellowshipped reader who credits this website with helping him wake up from Witness indoctrination a year ago, and who wishes to comment on developments in Australia…
As recorded this week in major news outlets all over the world, The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Australia has been presented with incontrovertible evidence that, due to the explicit policy and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1,006 alleged child molesters in Australia have not been reported to the police, with hundreds of these molesters allegedly being repeat offenders.
The evidence comes, not from “apostates” or “Satan’s media.” It comes from the brave and gut-wrenching testimony of abuse survivors, the jaw dropping and sometimes infuriating testimony of elders who dealt with their cases, and Watchtower’s own internal documents. And it is utterly damning, confirming everything that child protection activists and critics of the Watchtower organization have long claimed: Victims forced to confront their accusers in closed off, all-male tribunals. Elders not reporting cases of abuse to the police, even in the face of actual confessions from the abuser. Victims being told to be silent or be shunned.
Sounds awful doesn’t it? Both for the lives of the victims, and for the reputation of the organization that has so spectacularly failed them. But trust us, unless you’ve actually observed the hearings, you’ve not even seen the half of it. And observe you can.
In complete contrast to the closed off, star chamber style of court that Watchtower calls “justice,” the Royal Commission has published its sessions online for the whole world to see in the form of video recordings and transcripts.
The actual commission has looked at two case studies so far; examining the testimonies of two separate abuse survivors from inside Jehovah’s Witnesses (known to the commission as person BCB and person BCG), and the subsequent response of the Watchtower as an institution when it became aware of the allegations.
Both cases date from about twenty years ago. So far, the Commission has taken testimony from the two survivors, and from five elders involved in their cases. To give a blow-by-blow account of all of the suffering, failures and jaw-dropping incompetence displayed in the sessions would take an entire book, not an article. But nonetheless here are a few overall points that can be gained from observing the proceedings so far. (As I type this, day three of the two week hearing has ended, and the commission in taking a one day break before resuming on Friday 31st July.)
Above you can watch a YouTube playlist of video coverage from the Royal Commission
Watchtower’s strategy in dealing with the commission is crumbling. It’s hard to believe that the Elders appearing to testify will not have been coached by Watchtower’s Legal Desk. Indeed, one can see a distinct trend in the testimony each man gives, which speaks of a coordinated response.
Each man takes the stand and begins by trying to press a specific narrative: “We’re not saying everything was handled perfectly in the past: everyone was still new to the problem and didn’t fully understand how to proceed. But we’ve learned since then, and fixed the problems, and now it’s all fine, trust us, no really, and please pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”
Trouble for them is: the commission is blowing holes in that narrative wide enough to drive Jehu’s chariot through.
Firstly, it has now been demonstrated that even by the standards of the time (both cases being around 20 years old) the elders involved in the process demonstrated horrific incompetence and even active deceit. For example, elder Max Horley admits at one point to “not taking seriously” the wording of a letter he wrote to the branch about the sex abuse case he investigated, with that flawed letter later resulting in a significant and incorrect minimizing of the perceived seriousness of the abuse.
But it’s not just incompetence on the part of the elders that has been uncovered, because on day three, the commission caught elder Dino Ali apparently lying under oath.
Ali had claimed before the commission, and in his written statement, that when he and his fellow elders had investigated the allegations made by a young girl (known to the commission as BCG) against her father (allegedly a friend of Ali), the committee had been unable to disfellowship the father or take any action against him, even though they claimed to believe the allegations, because they had neither two witnesses to the crime, nor a confession from the father.
Ali regretfully but firmly stated that since it was a case of one person’s word against another, there was nothing the elders could do. He was asked during hearings to confirm if he’d have found the father guilty if he’d had two witness or a confession. Ali agreed that either one would have allowed him to do so.
Much to his obvious shock, the Commission then produced a set of aged, handwritten notes. They spent a great deal of time getting Ali to confirm that the notes were his, written during his investigation of the abuse. Ali, as recorded in the transcript and videos was clearly uncomfortable, and tried to dance around the issue, but was soon left with little choice in the matter but to accept that they were his, apparently obtained by the commission from the congregation file.
The Commission then proceeded to read Ali’s own account, from Ali’s own notes, of how not only the daughter BCG had accused the father of abuse, but BCG’s mother had also testified to Ali that the father had abused the two younger daughters, and the eldest of the four daughters had also stated to Ali that she had been abused.
Sounds bad? It gets worse.
Later in the notes, Ali in his own hand had recorded the father confessing to the abuse. The commission thus pointed out that, far from having only one witness and no confession, Dino Ali actually had three witnesses and a confession – enough evidence to find the father guilty.
Having been caught in either an act of gross negligence, outright deceit, or both, Ali spends most of the rest of his testimony trying and failing to convince the judge that three witnesses and a confession is not actually three witnesses and a confession.
Secondly, it quickly becomes apparent that while Watchtower may have changed some things they have not made changes where it really matters, and all the elders confirm this under oath.
The two witness rule. The practice of three men interrogating a survivor of sexual assault, sometimes in front of their attacker. The policy of not reporting to the police unless legally mandated to do so. These core problems are still alive and kicking in Watchtower. Thus, despite Watchtower’s attempt to spin a certain narrative to the Commission, the Commission has in just the first three days left that narrative in tatters.
And that leads us to the next point.
The failure is systemic to the Watchtower organization from the top down. These are not the actions of a few bad apples or incompetent men. Every single elder has confirmed (with the exception of Ali’s apparently deceitful behavior which, for the sake of fairness, was likely not directly sanctioned by Watchtower) that they were following direct printed policy regarding these matters. Indeed, these elders feel that they cannot deviate from the policy even if they disagree with it. The testimony below from Max Horly is typical of the repeated responses from the elders interviewed…
- Justice Peter McClellan: Mr Horley, I understand how the church is organized, but what the process means is that the investigation, in a case such as this one, of a woman’s allegations is made entirely by men; correct?
- Max Horley: I’m sorry, the —
- Justice McClellan: The investigation within the church is conducted entirely by men?
- Horley: That’s correct, yes.
- Justice McClellan: Do you think that’s appropriate when the allegation comes from a woman, and maybe a young woman?
- Horley: That’s – that’s the procedure that we have in place.
- Justice McClellan: I know, but I’m asking you a different question.
- Horley: Well, that sort of comes into my personal feelings. I think I would still have to be bound by what the branch directs me to do.
This is an oft repeated theme in the hearing. Elders follow orders, and they cannot question those orders, even if they disagree with them.
And disagree they do.
Most elders interviewed disagreed with the Watchtower policy when pressed. Out of the four elders specifically questioned about the key concerns of the commission, three of the elders (Max Horley, Doug Jackson, and Kevin Bowdich) eventually conceded in part or in whole that the process was flawed and needed to change. Below we have some such excerpts from the transcripts demonstrating this.
- Mr Angus Stewart, Counsel for the Commission: The point is, do you accept that in the face of the person accused, it may be very difficult for a person who has suffered abuse to say everything that happened to them?
- Max Horley: Absolutely, yes.
- Stewart: And in front of other men as well, at least two elders; is that right?
- Horley: That’s true, yes.
- Stewart: So it’s not a process that is necessarily going to come out with the full story, is it?
- Horley: Obviously not at the first meeting and, in this case that’s borne out, but – yep.
- Justice McClellan: The problem, Mr Jackson, is really not addressed in that way, though, is it? The problem —
- Doug Jackson: No
- Justice McClellan: — is the whole structure of the arrangement with two male elders, a male accused and then a female, in an environment in which she could never feel comfortable, being asked to tell intimate details of a sexual nature – the structure doesn’t work, does it?
- Jackson: Well, I agree, your Honor, I certainly do.
- Mr Angus Stewart, Counsel for the Commission: It’s not a good process, is it?
- Kevin Bowdich: It could be better.
Only one elder, Dino Ali, stubbornly insisted that the process was fine as it was, though his contradictory and sometimes bizarre responses to the commission indicate a man either being deliberately stubborn in refusing to admit the possibility his church may have flaws, a man terrified of publicly contradicting the Watchtower, or a man of such limited critical thinking skills that he cannot understand simple logic and reasoning.
Here is a typical example of the Judge trying to lead him to water, but of Mr Ali refusing to drink, when discussing the practice of bringing a sexual abuse survivor before a three-man committee.
- Justice McClellan: And you still think that’s an appropriate process for a young woman who is bringing allegations of sexual assault by her father, do you?
- Dino Ali: I believe it’s a step in understanding the process of what happened. It’s – I understand how difficult it was for her.
- Justice McClellan: But what she is saying to you is, because of the way this process was conducted, she wasn’t able to tell you all that she could have told you about what happened to her. Do you understand that?
- Ali: True, true. I understand that.
- Justice McClellan: So the three of you weren’t actually receiving the whole story, because the process wouldn’t allow it. Do you understand that?
- Ali: I understand that, too.
- Justice McClellan: Well is that not suggesting to you there is a flaw in the process?
- Ali: No.
So of the four elders interviewed, three agreed the process was flawed and thus proved that the Commission’s concerns were valid, and the fourth refused to admit the process was flawed even when the flaws were demonstrable.
Wait, I said four Elders. Wasn’t there a fifth guy?
Yes, there was. Elder Joseph Bello, but he didn’t spend long on the stand. Basically, he appeared to present rather nervous and shamefaced testimony confirming that, when abuse survivor BCB and her husband had been considering going to the Royal Commission with her story, he had made the statement: “But what would that accomplish other than dragging Jehovah’s name through the mud?”
This prompted the following exchange…
- Mr Stewart for the Commission: I take it within your faith, Jehovah is considered as a loving God?
- Joseph Bello: Definitely.
- Stewart: Would Jehovah, then, not also then not be more concerned about the victim than his own name?
At this point, you’d think Mr Bello would take the olive branch being offered, but instead he gives the following insight into why the Watchtower would rather abusers go free than victims go public
- Joseph Bello: Jehovah would be concerned about the victim, but Jehovah is concerned about his own name, too, that’s what the scriptures told us.
In other words… no.
Yikes.
Oh, and before he got off the stand, he also admitted that he had no real idea what the Commission was for or what it did, and that despite being summoned several weeks ago, he had done no research. When the astonished Judge told him that he must have been aware of the Commission’s work though the news, Mr Bello admitted to never following the news. The look on the face of Justice McClellan after this response spoke a thousand words.
This is just a small snippet of the opened can of worms that the elders interviewed thus far have strewn across the Commission floor. Not a single elder has carried themselves with any grace. They have all either collapsed into a deflated, shame-faced mess under questioning, or showed themselves to be unreasoning, deceitful fanatics.
With over a week of further testimony lying ahead, including the testimony of some high-ranking members of Watchtower Australia, it’s hard to see how the organization can possibly pull out of this legal and PR nosedive.
It would be hilarious, if it wasn’t so tragic.
If you decide to view the videos and read the transcripts, please be certain to take in the harrowing testimony of BCB and BCG. Please listen carefully as they relate how their lives were destroyed by men who should have protected and loved them.
Please listen as they relate how the elders and policies of the Watchtower organization acted to make an awful situation even worse. Please consider their courage, and their pain.
And please consider that these are just two of potentially thousands of victims around the world whom Watchtower has failed and will continue to fail until rule of law, financial penalty and public opinion force it to revise its bronze age approach to child abuse.
Covertfade
Further reading…
- Updated list of media reports on the Royal Commission
- Download page for exhibits from the Royal Commission
- Australian Royal Commission hears that 1,006 alleged child sex abusers were covered up by Watchtower
- Jehovah’s Witness Report article
- JWsurvey articles on child abuse
Related video…
Stephen Lett Captain of the Titanic
His eyebrows are trying to paddle away as fast as they can for quite some time now … we should help them escape.
Wow. Unbelievable, yet all totally true. So glad I woke up & got out of the JW’s almost 6 years ago.
I apologise for the multiple posts but I would just like to add one more comment and say to individual Jehovah’s witnesses, without condemnation or finger pointing etc, the governing body are ‘proud’ of how they’ve handled this young woman’s case and others like it but the real stinger is this. . .the Watchtower has been aware of this information for many years and they still say they are ‘proud’. They knew this was coming and have tried to deceive you. Listen to Tony Morris for yourselfs. . .who are the apostates and who really is the faithful and wise servant, a question posed by the master.
Does anybody know if this like a civil suit where the victims are suing for compensation for the pain and mental suffering they have gone through?
It is clear the elders don’t want to take responsibility and if they do take responsibility for the cover ups, then they could all be sued? So, if they say they were taking orders from the Society, then if it was proved that the Society prevented the victims from reporting the abuse to the authorities, then the Society would be the ones sued?
Like my husband keeps saying: The Society has never said that the victims cannot go to the police. No, the Society is smarter than to put it in writing that victims are not being barred from reporting the abuse to the police.
So, then why 1006 out of 1,006 cases of child sexual abuse that were reported to the elders, not even one of those men told the victims and their families to report the abuse to the authorities? If the abuse was in the family, then they would have to know that the man or father is not going to turn himself into the police and so the elders should have reported it to the police to protect the child in that home but they didn’t report it to the police.
Since the elders felt uncomfortable in relating their experiences in those situations where the child had to confront the abuser in front of a bunch of men, it would seem that most of those men went against their conscience. No, they weren’t following orders from the Society to tell those people that they couldn’t go to the police, but they discouraged it by telling them that the victims’ reporting it to the police would bring reproach on Jehovah’s name.
The Society is smart enough not to put it in writing that victims can not go to the police but the elders were dumb enough to go against their conscience and not report it and discouraged the victims not to report it. They were no different than those in WW2 following orders from Hitler. People follow orders from men dressed in suits, no matter how stupid the orders might be. It’s human nature. Now the chickens are coming home to roost and the elders are being left to take the blame. If the elders realize just how they have been thrown under the bus so save the Organization, maybe they will realize what a disgusting lowlife bunch of men they are following.
If the Society were real men, they’d stand up for those elders. After all, with 1006 out of 1006 cases of child sexual abuse not being reported to the police, it has to tell the authorities that the Society has to be giving those men orders, even if it’s not in writing.
If each of those 1,006 people each got one million dollars compensation, that could wipe out the Organization and just think, this is only one country. This abuse has been happening all over the world in the Organization for decades.
A wonderful comment, logical, sensible and compassionate. The civil cases,I presume, would begin withthe conclusion of the trial and its findings.x
I do believe this is the beginning of the end of the Watchtower, deservedly so. There are many lovely people who are Jehovah’s witnesses,we all have our favourites, I just hope they don’t get caught in the crossfire, nevertheless what will be is what will be.x
let the foolish virgins grow together
Just a few comments on a Royal Commission. It is comparable to a Grand Jury in the US as I understand what a Grand Jury is. A Royal Commission is not a court of law. It is a fact finding body initiated to determine the truth about whatever it is assigned to examine. It has enormous powers of investigation. If you are summoned to appear before it then you must appear or you will be imprisoned until you do. The rules of evidence in a Court of Law do not apply. If you are asked to give evidence whether it incriminates you or not you must answer whether that is to your detriment or not. The RC will amass facts and make recommendations to the Govt of the day for Legislative consideration and its findings will usually be carried out. It will make recommendations for criminal prosecutions to the Dept’s of Public Prosecutions and or Police whichever be the more appropriate body. It is not an instrument to impose judicial findings, judgements or determinations. It is not adversarial as a court of law is and it does not act on behalf of or for litigants and it does not impose reparations of any sort.
If Losch had of been called before a RC, unlike the case in Texas(?) and it cost the WTC $13 million, where he refused to appear that would have landed him in gaol.
Hope this helps
Well said. Pervasive powers. You cannot escape the reach of a Royal Commission in Australia.
Two of their forthcoming recommendations are that institutional compliance requires a two pronged approach involving both Legislative and Financial Sanctions. The arbitrary figure of $65,000 was mentioned once in conversation.
Cheers All
Keith
anonymous,
To add to your excellent comment.
We need to remember that the 1006 refers to individuals, NOT cases. Sadly, it is probably the case that these 1006 criminals abused more than one victim.
I am looking forward to the investigation in the UK. We will hopefully get full disclosure from the UK branch about how many sick paedophiles are hiding in their congregations. The brave lady here in the UK who won the first civil case against the WTBTS has opened the way for further cases.
Folks have commented that Stephen Lett’s morning worship talk about unity, where he says that the accusation that the WTBTS has covered up cases of child abuse are “apostate driven lies and dishonest its” has been removed from JW broadcasting. Too late! It has been downloaded and is still available!
The WTBTS cannot sweep this under the carpet. They now live in a reality where anyone can learn about this disgusting scandal at the click of a mouse. Their old solutions now only make them seem worse. They have lost the information war.
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
Has a similar inquiry in the UK already been scheduled? Not heard anything about it personally.
Can’t help but think of the constant drumbeat of it’s better to reveal than conceal, lawyers are pretty good at separating the wheat from the chaff. Ignorance is usually not a good defense, particularly those of authority. Also, the Royal Commission seems to have a very commanding handle of the process understanding. While the GB seems to be stuck in the reactive mode(ie putting out fires), the smarter organizations are in preventative and predictive modes. On the very basic level, do the Elders have any training including verification of training (ie records), particularly on child molesters?
IMHO
dogstar
The Watchtower has not removed Stephen Lett’s Morning Worship talk which discusses child abuse stories that he calls “apostate-driven lies and dishonesties.”
Lett is one member of the governing body that I find difficult to watch. His exaggerated facial expressions and mimicking gestures, combined with outrageous lies, are a disgusting combination. To help you search and find it quickly, here is the exact title of the Stephen Lett talk to which you are referring:
Stephen Lett: “Maintain the Oneness of the Spirit”
Starting at 7 minutes and 30 seconds, Lett tells his biggest lie ever: “Another way we can contribute to the oneness; rejecting false stories that are designed to separate us from Jehovah’s organization. As an example, think about the apostate-driven lies and dishonesties that Jehovah’s organization is permissive toward pedophiles. I mean that is ridiculous isn’t it. If anybody takes action against someone who would threaten our young ones and takes action to protect our young ones, it’s Jehovah’s organization. We reject outright such lies.”
Scot Wm,
Thanks for putting me right on the Stephen Lett unity talk. Much obliged.
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
Where is the news Media? We heard all about the Carholic church all over the major news Media Fox News NBC CBS ABC CNN and CNBC. But hear nothing from them regarding this dangerous cult?
I have watched nearly every second of the streamed
Coverage of the Royal Commission and have found it
To be better than fiction. It is about time that these
Arrogant, uneducated, morons be shown up for the
Buffoons that they often are. I especially liked the
Dry mouthed, clearly nervous Elder who made the
Comment about dragging Jah’s name through the mud.
CNN found that to be newsworthy as well.
I also notice the glances between the lead prosecutor
And the Judge when they say stupid things. It is so
Embarrassing and rather painful to see them look so
Ridiculous in front of the world. Elders that is. I was
Raised in this religion and even if I were still active, I
Would shudder at this spectacle. I hope some good comes
Out of this. it also appears that Watchtower is scrambling
To do damage control. However, the eighties weren’t exactly the dark ages. Truth does not change, and these
Issues have been around for centuries. The comments
About learning more about The problem doesn’t wash with
Me. Come on. You handled these women like clodhoppers
And you know it. Too little too late.
The blatantly orchestrated statement, by elders at the Royal Commission.
“That we abhor child abuse, and have published many articles to help
parents guard against it”. Is simply a white wash tactic, bluff, camouflage
to cover over the org’s main concerns.- Self image and survival.
It’s true that many such helpful articles have been written. But with
1006 JW, paedophiles in Australia alone, and who knows how many
Worldwide? An official inquiry, sooner or later, was inevitable, and
the WT, articles were preempting this, and are an attempt to distance
themselves from any blame and bad publicity.
Their written, confidential ( secret ) policy, and practice, expose their
deceit. The following are instructions from N, York , to the Aussie
branch. —
.”Where the Law does not obligate elders to report cases that come
to their attention, there is no need for them to do so, but if the matter
becomes known to the authorities and they are required to disclose
information they have in their possession, they will do so unless they
can claim eccle-siastical privilege.”
So we could legitimately insert into those helpful WT, articles.—
Beware of paedophiles even in the congregations, but if any come
to our attention, we will keep it to ourselves, unless the Law forces
us to disclose it. But if we can get round the Law by invoking
Clergy Privilege, we will do so.
Hypocrites ! Whitewashed Graves!
While none of us should lose sight of the main theme of these hearings, the mishandling of child abuse allegations, there are some secondary themes that are blatantly obvious to anyone who has been a Witness (especially former elders). Mind control is on trial here too. I myself was an elder for several years and although I never personally handled a child sexual abuse case, I did handle cases involving young women confessing to “sexual misconduct” (I’m definitely not putting these on the same level). Even at that level, it is clear to me now that these investigations and judicial hearings involving three men asking for details of sexual contact were at the least very upsetting but more likely traumatizing. I admit to personally being dehumanized, desensitized and unable to use my own common sense in these cases because I was blinded by policy. Therein, lies the major problem in the Watchtower mentality – people are treated as policies and those administering the policies are controlled by the policies. Regardless of what your feelings, thoughts and common sense tell you as a human, the policy is above all else. I am pained over those committees to this day… I’m glad that the royal commission has picked up on the policy mentality and is pressing the elders to express a personal feeling or opinion on what is appropriate, which is clearly painful or even impossible for them to do. Even the kindest of elders are bound by the policy and find their own feelings and thoughts handicapped by them. It usually requires a crisis of conscience (which happened with me) for them to realize the error of their way. I’m glad I never handled child abuse cases when I was under that indoctrination because I would probably have committed the same errors. Dino Ali said he had sleepless nights over the case – that was his human side telling him something was wrong – but then he went ahead with the policy anyway. He’s still to this day ultimately siding with the policy and not the victim.
Agreed, but I don’t think people can be mind controlled unless they like it. To stay in the organization, they must like it.
They have been told the WT is spirit directed by God, and they believe it. So they substitute WT for God, and worship it like an idol.
That’s perhaps the most devilish indoctrination of all.
Some people are trapped in it…after a lifetime in the organization I have woken up… but all my loved ones and friends are jw’s… I would be alone and shunned by my whole family…Im scared all the time of this result…there are I believe others in the same position as me earthwide…its a prison…my parents created it for me and though my mind is now free…I am not.
I too served as an elder. I agree with you about the policy dehumanizing and desensitizing us. I had many reservations about the system & methodology.
We have exited about 4 months ago when many concerns compounded to a point where our consciences were troubled to such an extent that we could no longer remain in such a high control cult.
I know that there are many genuine people in the Org, but the Royal Commission clearly shows how the following of Society Rules dumbs elders down – which results in great miscarriages of justice and unloving, unkind, inhuman behaviours.
Mr, Fair. Simon Kestrel.
Both good comments, I think the mind control is a lobotomy
job accomplished without the surgeons ice pick.
Brain washing shuts down the part of the brain that gives us
autonomy. It then allows a space for someone else to take
control, without us realising it. The WT, is always warning
about independent thinking being a form of rebellion, Satan
like.
As you rightly point out Simon, some like being controlled,
having others do their thinking for them, even when the
ideas are clearly wrong. there’s obviously a great many of
them in the jw org. But there are many exceptions also.
The expression “Woken Up” is very appropriate, as from a
hypnotic state. Mr, Fair says he had a crisis of conscience.
Maybe some of the elders at the Royal Commission, after
having their robotic obedience to shameful wt, policies
exposed , will have a similar crisis of conscience, and wake up.
Exactly what I was going to mention. Some do choose the structure and to have someone else do their thinking but many don’t realize they are being controlled. As a third generation witness, I certainly didn’t choose to be born into a witness family, to be indoctrinated from childhood, to be homeschooled, etc. That was the only world view And information I had access to and I wasn’t given the valuable assets of critical thinking or freedom to choose. I’m sure many “born-ins” can relate to that.
Yes I totally relate and agree with your words. I was also a 3rd Gen jw. My mother had little critical thinking skills taught to her, and my grandparents were young immigrants to US with many children in the 40s when they were contacted by the cult. So so sad for my family and others as well. I am ending this control with my generation!
Me too !
Sorry if I offended born-ins. That was not my intent.
I already had critical thinking skills before exposure to the WT, and I fell for it too. Back in the ‘80s, paradise and the resurrection sounded so good. It took time to realize they mix lies with Bible promises.
If served a glass of water 90% pure and only 10% sewage, who would drink it? Of course WT fails to disclose the sewage content.
It still makes me angry that I drank their s**t!
Hi Simon. I’m not offended and I understand where you are coming from. I sometimes feel the same way as you when I try to explain my reasons for “waking up” to my family members who are still in. In those moments, it seems that they want to be under mind control and they will deny all facts that might be contradictory to their beliefs. They’ve told me that they don’t care about the evidence, that they’re going to be loyal no matter what, that you can’t trust the news, etc. In those moments it does really seem that they want to be controlled and that they like it. I think it’s important that we remember that they aren’t even using their own minds to think about the facts presented to them. They are putting up mental walls using the very defenses fed to them by the Watchtower. As someone mentioned, there is also fear involved, the fear of changing their beliefs and losing everything they know. It’s very, very frustrating but we just have to keep trying to the extent possible. To help others, it’s important to identify those that truly WANT to be in, those being unwittingly CONTROLLED and those that feel TRAPPED. I’m sure you’ll agree that anger is justified when realizing that we’ve been deceived, but I think only love and empathy can help people. I’m glad you found your way out!
My heart aches for all the victims. Until I read the article before this one, I never even thought about what went on in those elder meetings. That they would ask for all the disgusting details, in graphic. Re victimising the victims. And I believe those elders do get off on listening to all the details. So glad they are being exposed for the uncaring liars that they are.
The very reasonable questions from the royal commission are exposing how extremely unreasonable and repugnant the watchtower policies are. I especially LOVED the point made about reporting child abuse being a community responsibility. While the elders claim to be concerned with protecting children in the kingdom hall’s there is ZERO thought or concern for children on the outside.
The elders absolutely stupid remark “we can’t be responsible for the children in all of Australia” exposes the abysmal ignorance present in this organization. Of course you can’t! That’s why you report it to the authorities whos very job IS to protect children PERIOD.
An organization who preaches to the public has a responsibility to that very PUBLIC to not expose them to possible danger. I can’t think of the many times a child came to a door I knocked on, opened it, only to tell me that mommy and daddy are not at home. Immediately I would tell them to close the door and never EVER open the door to a stranger when mommy or daddy are not home. Just imagine the worst case scenario: An unreported child molester who was privately reproved is still allowed to preach and he gets one of those doors. It would be like Halloween except a very REAL monster would be at the door.
The point made was very clear. Even if the man was dissfellowshipped he still had access to non witness children. I wanted to hit that elder with a brick. Ultimately though the organization should bare the responsibility.
I was also of a mind to hit that elder with a brick !
It was chilling to think that they were supposedly interested in protecting those in the congregation, but did an appalling job of it, due to following the policy to the letter – yet despite claiming to love their Neighbour ( by witnessing to them ) they would not warn, report, or help prevent molestation of any “worldly” child – true hypocrisy worthy of Pharisees whom Jesus strongly rebuked ! Shame on them !
It all boils down to the mindset that the Organization belongs to Jehovah and as the God of the Universe, his name has to be protected above all else and those elders think that when a child abuser is reported to the police and it gets in the newspapers, then God’s Organization looks bad and it will bring “reproach” on Jehovah’s name.
That is the mindset that I had for fifty years also. No matter how bad certain people were within the Organization, I never “blamed” it on Jehovah. I always thought it was bad people in the Organization and that is the problem. I didn’t realize that reproach did need to be brought on Jehovah’s Organization because it deserved reproach, just as any other organization that doesn’t report child abusers to the police and any organization that is only concerned about it’s reputation in the community, could never be an organization that is run by a perfect god.
Since all these policies come from one source, namely the Governing Body, why haven’t they been held criminally responsible?…. Or is that yet to follow?
G
Did anyone else find it interesting, sad and laughable that the “expert” witness used by the witnesses isn’t an “expert” on witnesses? She was also hired as a consultant but not paid to do consulting? “Consultant: a person who gives professional advice or services to companies for a fee.” Watchtower wasn’t interested in her advice or services. It was classic when she had to admit that she has never offered testimony critical of the witnesses and that that wasn’t what she was paid to do. They just wanted someone with a “Dr.” at the beginning of their name to say that they are better than “Babylon the great” at distributing magazines. I’m sure Dr. Applewhite is a very good person with good intentions, who is interested in children’s welfare, but it seems the branch set the poor woman up to fail. (I hope she still gets her money :-) She had to be taught about the witnesses, their mentality and procedures by the commission. It will be interesting to see if she can muster any empirical evidence outside of the witness propaganda to base her opinions on. I think the justice destroyed the Watchtower’s whole defense when he told their lawyer he wasn’t interested in who was best among the religions or who got there first. Could someone get that clip to the GB? I’m sure that they aren’t watching this… 7 Joe Bellos locked up in Brooklyn… “Shame on them!” To quote Tony #3.
One additional point… Why wasn’t she given the victim’s statements to read? It seems she would have had access to them? Come on! I have read transcripts of the case to know the victim’s stories and I’m not even testifying in the case. She only referenced the statements and opinions of the heads of the legal department, service department, branch committee, witness publications and an unrelated child abuse case fed to her by the branch. Did Watchtower use information control with her? Otherwise, I can’t imagine why she wouldn’t have read the victim’s statements particular to the commission’s case study. Additionally, she was probably given a tour of bethel, had lunch there, got love-bombed and swept away in a sea of love and trust. When I worked at Bethel, they really rolled out the red carpet for any non-jw professionals who visited the branch for business purposes.
Sorry just forgot to mention this in the last post… The moment when Justice McClellan tells WT’s lawyer that whoever had Dr. Applewhite prepare this statement was missing the point. The GB itself is completely missing the point and probably forced the branch to miss it to. Sad…
I cant take this anymore!!
Whats wrong with all these blind people!!
How much more proof do you need!!
An organization that covers up thousands of CHILD RAPE cases all over the world can in no way be considered a religious organization. It is a CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION!!
ORGANIZED CRIME!!! The Governing Body are the MASTERMINDS behind this CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION!!
WAKE UP!!!
One could ask: If somebody TRULY believes in a good and just God, TRULY believing there are things that are “bad”, “wrong”, “sinful”, horrible and disgusting in this one God’s eyes; if someone truly wants to follow Jesus Christ, taking all that is said by, and about him, seriously – how in the world could such a person even THINK of – let alone commit – this atrocity of taking advantage of small children to satisfy depraved, perverted, and base sexual lusts? Wouldn’t something like this be the epitome of a gastly and hellish combination of “uncleanness, “loose conduct”, “porneia” and whatever other term describing the worst imaginable twisted aberrations of human behavior?
The only possible explanation that comes to mind, to come to grips with this paradox is: These people, these child rapist-“elders” and “shepherds of God’s flock” don’t believe what they pretend to believe in front of others, from platforms when delivering pious speeches, and from door to door. Evidently, they don’t feel that the “eye of an all-seeing God” is watching them – or they don’t care (anymore). They are just like those Catholic and Protestant priests who are atheists, to whom the Bible is not an inspired divine revelation, but just a collection of myths and fables, but they pretend in front of others to be pious “men of God”, to get a paycheck at the end of each month for an easy and comfortable job.
Now, should it surprise us that those men either have never TRULY believed, or have lost whatever measure of faith they may once have possessed, in the light of JW.ORG’s incessant theological contortions and dogmatic acrobatics as regards “The end is coming sooooooon, it’s AT HAND, the generation consists of two overlapping parts and we live in the time of the 2nd younger part, only the 7 in BRK are God’s mouthpiece on earth, …”? Should it surprise us that so many JW’s – including the “elder/shepherd”-henchmen and enforcers of the governing central committee – are losing (or have lost) their faith in the light of the never-ending false JW.ORG-promises and –prophecies, and constantly shifting theological somersaults of a committee of petty little, but biblical utterly uneducated gang of machos? JW.ORG-“theology” is dull and dead, hollow and empty, unfulfilled and unfulfilling, frustrating, restrictive, deceiving and misleading.
I believe those aberrations, and surging wave of utter grave misconduct on the part of JW.ORG-“dignitaries” are but an indication, and a reflection of a total spiritual barrenness, the spiritual wasteland, the dried-up desert these people are living in, are forced to live in by Watchtower-leaders. To them, the often-quoted adage of Jer 2,13 applies: “They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” Those people have been forced to live on spiritual nothingness, on stuffy hot air of broken promises and false prophecies, mixed with gall and stench and the pettiness of small minds who deem themselves divine. “By their fruits you will recognize them”; “what is sown is what will be reaped”. Should one expect false teachings to yield a good crop? How about DECADES of false teachings, hammered as “THE TRUTH, nothing but the TRUTH and the ONLY TRUTH” into peoples’ minds and hearts? Feed on trash, drink poison, and you can’t expect to fare well. Have decades of JW.ORG-doctrines pumped into your system, and the results become obvious. And oh how they are in process of unraveling themselves before our eyes.
I am not saying that this is an “excuse” for what these people have done, and are still doing, to all those abused kids. Despite all those fundamental flaws and “poor quality” of JW.ORG-theology and its screamingly obvious falseness, let alone its lack to ennoble people, enabling them to control and overcome “sinful tendencies”: People are still responsible for their actions; it’s all about choices. Those Nazi concentration camps guards, those border patrols at the East German frontier were held fully responsible for having killed so many of their fellow human beings, despite claiming to “simply have followed orders”; this did not exonerate them, and rightly so. In the same vein, those JW.ORG-“dignitaries” cannot shift the blame for their own misdeeds neither to their “orders” from JW.ORG’s top guns, nor for their absence or loss of “believe” due to having been served spiritual crap for decades. We stand or fall based on our OWN choices and our OWN actions, since we got a brain to reason with, and to enable us to control and master our innermost and darkest animalistic impulses and instincts. Else, we wouldn’t be human, nor human beings.
The fruit of feeding on trash is literal sickness.
The fruit of feeding on spiritual junk is sick behavior.
The fruit of over 100 years of JW.ORG-indoctrination has ripened; the harvest has come, and it is here.
That’s what I think.
Criticus
I share your frustration. I’m the only member of my family that escaped that dangerous cult, and it’s so incredibly hard to get through to my family. I hope, I sincerely hope, that this at least sows a grain of doubt in their head about what they call “the truth”.
Telling the Truth you’ve nothing to hide.
So why sending a secret manual to all the elders
over the world?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mz9z38909t3fh7c/2012-Shepherd-The-Flock-Of-God-ks10_E.pdf?dl=0
http://jwleaks.org/boe-letters/
My first thought was just where are the governing body
At this hearing? shouldn’t they be front and center to
Proudly defend their position as Christ’s brothers and
Give a proper defense of the stance that they publish to
The world? Is it just me or are they in some way cowering
As to the responsibility of loyalty to their own doctrines?
I listened to a brother on line who goes by the handle
Johnny the Bethelite, who said they seem to be laying
Low even in Brooklyn this past week. If that is in fact
True, it makes ya wonder. It occurs to me that it is
Easier for them to dish it out than to take it. I don’t see
This as persecution, but an exercise in ACCOUNTABILITY.
I have felt persecuted ever since I was disfellowshipped
Because I did something stupid to try to end an unhappy
Marriage. When I did that I was not associating at all
With the congregation. At least I didn’t lie or deceive
Anyone about it. Still, I have been an emotional basket
Case ever since. When I would try to get to the meetings,
I found it too much to bear, the shunning that is.
Oh please, let the WT Titanic go down in my lifetime. And all the media in the U S reporting it
Tomorrow, when the trial continues, I would love to see the prosecution examine the legal department over the two witness rule.
I believe that if you present a scriptural argument to Jehovah witnesses they are more likely to believe.
If you can get a Jehovah’s Witness to question gravity will take over (I have a snow ball in mind).
In the jw mindset, they haven’t yet unmeshed the 2 things that keep them locked in this paradox. That is, that God’s organisation & God are one & the same thing. The secret powers behind the organisation have managed to manipulate the minds of the follows to believe that they are tied together. That rules out any question that there maybe any error in their “divine policy”.
The GB have successfully usurped the worship for themselves, above Jesus & above Jehovah. Until the r&f can unplug that thought they will always base their thinking on what the “faithful & discreet slaves” version of divine policy is.
To all doubters, please search your heart for what your internal voice of justice is & if you still believe in God as the true justice maker, then ask yourself if this is what Jehovah God or Jesus would do.
So very true Grace you nailed it! But at sometime ones conscience have to come into the equation or else they will just continue to allow themselves to be used.
Kat,
So true. The thing that’s occurring to me as I look at this whole sorry state of a religion is that one’s conscience has to be deadened to make excuses for the WT’s handling of abuse.
I’ve just finished watching part 1 of the hearing. Which you can watch here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qlz131o77Uk) and is described above, and my jaw is just open. It is hard to listen to the details of the BCG case, and infuriating to listen to that elder lie in such an arrogant, yet incredibly stupid way. I want to punch him mercilessly in the face! This is beyond negligent, this is the embodiment of evil. The JW organization is the embodiment of evil. Period. Don’t believe me, just listen to that hearing.
There is a large underground movement in WT. Many secret cells working to undermine the organization. Just a matter of time now…
What do you mean? Have you got more details?
I know many inside still trying to get out.
I love the way that one elder says….’My Wife might have said that…thats not me…’…. ahhhhhh so lets just dob his wife in to the RC…. as long as his hands remain clean… the usual mysoginist reply…’it was the woman you gave me’… and he says it twice!
Dear Friends
Remove the unloving practice of shunning and this whole house of cards will fall down – members who are not threatened by the loss of family and friends would soon see through this organisation for what it is – there should be a Global Commission into this terrible practice – this is a direct violation of human rights as mentioned many times. (we will take a Royal Commission in Australia to start with if need be!)
This Commission hearing proves to me that the WBTS does not have the resources, knowledge or intent to fulfill a comprehensive spiritual and (intrinsically related) emotional duty of care to all its members – which they have presumptuously assumed ownership of.
The victims of child abuse need love, support, family and friends to move on with their lives – not (unprepared) testimony of men, a legal team and a subject matter expert.
Sadly at this most vulnerable time for them (according to the testimony) they are made to feel dirty, liars, trouble makers and guilty – this is shameful and needs to change now.
Comparisons, legalize, clever wording and deception expose this organisation – the incisive and logical questions from the Commission staff will hopefully help our friends and family that are still part of this organisation do some serious thinking if they want their destiny, freedom of association, security of their children and which neighbor they can love set by a US based corporation.
Love will always win – Jesus and other great men and woman of history set the example for us.
Kaput
Kaput, you are so right. The victims of child abuse need their parents, sisters and brothers around them, of course if the father is not an abuser. And that is removed from their lives at such a crucial time (not in all cases of course, but for many this is a reality as their family stick to the Watchtower like glue) and to have elders, who are representing God, mind you, to accuse them of sinning in some cases by default of having been defiled would be the height of treason. You tell me how could a child go to the authorities? They are too young and inexperienced. And it is all to protect Jehovah’s name? They paint Him as an unjust and hateful god who loves punishing innocent ones. Hypocrites! Jesus said he was the end of the Law, so the GB are going against the law of love that Jesus instigated.
Y’all,
to me, one of the most revealing moments – exposing one of the most fundamental “systemic” flaws in JW.ORG-“Theology” – was when judge McLellan asked Ron de Rooy: “What is the context in Deuteronomy in which the 2-witness-rule was given?” Ron couldn’t answer that, laying bare his utter ignorance as to TRUE biblical knowledge and education. Later during the session, McLellan even took the JW-“silver”-NWT, evidently opened it to Deut 17,6 (or 19,15), again getting back to the “context”-question, to no avail. He then stated, and I was utterly lol, applauding & cheering: “The Mosaic Law also states to stone people for adultery and for murder. So you do stone people?” Ron flailed, flapped, struggled, floundered helplessly BIG TIME. The judge’s smirk spoke volumes.
Now, here is a “worldly” judge, and HE – not our “theocratically well-trained brother” – is asking exactly the right question, one that is so fundamental as knowing the ABC before starting to read: What is the context of a Bible passage that makes it clear how to understand and to apply this passage? You can’t just rip any passage of any textbook out of its context to assign it a meaning. That’s basic. He – the judge – knows more about the Bible than a “divinely educated spiritual shepherd of God’s flock”. Ron – as all the other shining JW-luminaries grilled prior to him – has no clue; all he can do is shallow-brainedly parrot GB-Org-rules. TRUE and SOLID Bible education – ubi es? Not with JW.ORG, that’s being demonstrated right before our eyes beyond any doubt.
It was similar earlier when Angus Stewart grilled former Circuit Overseer Doug Jackson with regard to “uncleanness” v. “loose conduct”: The ks-book has all those “deliciously candid” scenarios as regards “touching breasts” and “fumbling with genitals”, “sex with animals” etc., either “accidentally” or “repeatedly”, which – so JW-“Elders” are taught – is the great distinguisher between “sinning out of weakness” and “intentional, repeated sinning”. Everybody who already has had the pleasure of being “examined” by a JW-“Judicial Committee” knows how those “amateur-wannabe-hobby-pastors” drill and peer and pry, trying to determine whether a “sin” was “only unintentional” (= uncleanness), or “willingly, based on a rebellious, shameless attitude”, which would constitute “loose conduct”. To begin with: None – NONE – of those untrained amateur-“shepherds” has the slightest clue as regards the meaning of the underlying Greek words “akatharsia” and “aselgeia” which are being “used” by JW.ORG to lay down their arbitrary “fact-finding”-procedures. This alone is a task totally overstraining most of those Joe Blow JW-“elders” who have neither the necessary professional, psychological training, nor the intellectual or human skills to accomplish a task as complex and serious as determining other peoples’ intents and motives and root causes of their behavior. Even “experts” fail at that. Guys: To do psychological evaluations of human behavior requires at least a 4-year university degree – and even THIS is no guarantee that one is doing a good job, as this Monica Applesauce-person with her PhD, BAs and “expert” credentials clearly and sadly demonstrates.
So: Here is an elder who REPEATEDLY abuses young girls – and he gets a slap on his wrist with the “uncleanness” (not the “loose conduct”)-verdict – and Mr. Stewart, a “worldly, not ‘theocratically educated’ ” prosecutor has to point out to a JW-C.O. (!!!) that – acc. to JW.ORG’s own definitions – this was not only “uncleanness”, but “loose conduct” due to the aspect of repetition??? I mean: Who is the JW-“dignitary” here? This shows, not only the utter lack of qualification on the part of most JW-enforcers, not only with regard to solid biblical education and understanding, but also as regards to applying their own church rules, but also the utter lack of quality of those rules as well, their being riddled with flaws and errors. All of this sheds a revealing light on the (non)quality of “the best education there is, namely, ‘divine’ JW-education”. JW.ORG’s arrogant and delusional claims are ridiculous. Here we see a toxic, concentrated agglomeration of false teachings, coupled with human incompetence. And all of this is “spirit-directed”? Oh yeah, and 2 times 2 equals 5, and the earth is flat. Maybe it is, but this “spirit” is not the true God’s Holy Spirit, that much we can rely upon. Maybe Jonny Walker’s or Ballantine’s spirit.
Looking forward to the remaining sessions yet to come.
Greetings,
Criticus
Peter is right on both counts. Their teachings can be demolished by a true handling of scripture, but you have to demonstrate to them that they are not the truth. No easy task but it is a labour of love and not persecution that will open doors.
@Criticus . Your ANALYTICAL DESTRUCTION of The Amateur 7 GB interpretation of Biblical Passages is ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. Any Intelligent?? JW could see what you have just written shows the 7 GB MEN are NOT INSPIRED!!!!
I have said in the past the only Spirit they are inspired by is Johnnie Walker,so I concur Wholeheartedly with what you say! My only fear last night as I sat at the Kingdom Hall looking around there are so many with limited education & those who are educated are Frightened, YES Frightened to Leave because of Losing Friends & Family! & This is the VERY SAD point that many stay in the Organisation because of FEAR & the 7 GB Men know this because of the EVIL SHUNNING RULE!!!
WICKED beyond BELIEF!
True, dear Pickled Brain, but the jar goes to the well only until it breaks. Nothing lasts forever, and just as those pedophile elders obviously have no ounce of true faith and godly fear left in their bones, so the members of the “flock” will loose their faith big time – not only due to JW.ORG’s incessant doctrinal mutations and utilitarian “theological” contortions and acrobatics (“New Blacklight”), one of the latest & greatest of which is the utterly unbiblical “2-part-generation”-hypothesis; not only in the light of their constant broken promises and false predictions; not only due to the insolent abuse of power and arrogance on the part of JW.ORG’s petty little local reps & enforcers; but also in the light of this massive surge of revelations about JW.ORG’s and it’s bosses TRUE essence and nature. How very revealing it is, how GB-member Jackson dodges the bullet, refusing to appear before the commission. He is in AUS due to “compassionate” reasons, bec. his daddy is ill? SO WHAT??? Tell this to the traumatized abuse victims, whose entire lives have been ruined by those abuser pigs. I don’t understand why the AUS-authorities could not just have seized him and brought him in, since he is Australian; but I am no lawyer, so I can only speculate. Those GB-villains keep their butts safely out of the fire while throwing others under the bus, to face the music they – GB – have hatched. THAT’s what I call “good shepherds”. Utterly disgusting & revolting this is. Reminds me of Ezekiel 34,8: “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock.” Now, THAT is a perfect description of what is currently going on amidst the “Spiritual Paradies” of the JW.ORG: Shepherds who fleece the flock to feed themselves, to feed their fat bellies. “Appointed Servants” that are like “wild animals” ravaging the tender sheep. But what else does it say in Ezekiel? “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries … I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. ”
Dear friends: I seriously believe we are going to see this unraveling before our eyes VERY soon (oh yeah: “The end is coming SOOOOOOOn”, haha), and the events in AUS may be a first step toward this direction. May those words from Ezekiel be applied to those unfaithul & undiscreet slave-bosses and their henchmen all over: “Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? “ ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David (= Jesus, inserted), and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.”
The time has come to pay the bill, and the bill isn’t pretty for those seven self-made and self-proclaimed lords and rulers over the believers. “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Greetings,
Criticus
So everyone should have their copies of the ‘Flocking the Sheep’ manual by now (including the 2015 Digital Edition with markup), but ICYMI.. here’s the Branch Organization manual!
https://jhonlemos.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/branch-organization-watchtower.pdf
Hi guys I’m a JW but I really don’t want to be anymore and soon I plan to move out because my family pressures me constantly to do things for “Jehovah”. I don’t believe JWs are the right religion but they make me feel like I can’t do anything if I leave, and I know they’re wrong. If I want to move out I’d need some advice because I don’t want to be in this home but I don’t want to leave without reassurance that I can oay bills and all.
Hi DJ
Best way out is to fade (according to the Australian Branch Overseer) – you will get over this my friend – there is definitely a good life that awaits you after being part of this corporation.
Kaput
Hi DJ,
The other thing that I would suggest is to go to JW Recovery, there are some really helpful people over there that have gone through the same thing as you.
I go there for reassurance myself.
Be confident in yourself & keep reminding yourself that leaving this corporation is not damnation for you. It is the beginning of your new life.
DJ,
Check out John Cedar’s video that covers the topic of planning your exit. It’s on his YouTube channel.
Here is my advice:
Do NOT discuss this with any JW. They WILL tell on you to the elders. If anyone comes fishing for some apostate or independent thinking, just give them the “I love Jehovah God’s spirit-directed Organisation because (insert praise here)” reponse and they will leave you alone.
If you have any business dealings with JWs, get out of those before you fade. If you work for a JW, or with a JW, see if you can get a different job with no JWs around. It will give you many hours of being able to be yourself, instead of keeping up your “good little JW” act. You will also be able, hopefully, to meet some nice ordinary people to befriend. You will need to build up a group of nice “worldly” people to hang out with, as you will be invited to less social occasions if you fade.
Don’t do any anti JW research at home. Make up a completely separate and anonymous identity on line for this.
Be nice to your family members. I know they are infuriating, but showing your love for them is the best way for you to leave or fade on your own terms. If you are still a Christian, then showing love is how we remain in union with God and Jesus. If not, it’s still the good thing to do, right?
Besides, moving out is going to take time, and a frosty home life is not conducive to preparing anything.
You will know the minimum expected of you as regards JW things. Find that minimum and do just a little more than that. Keep this up, and liberally throw in lots of “I love Jehovah God’s spirit directed Organisation because…..” And they should leave you be to make your plans.
Moving out costs money, and you need to find a way to maximise your paycheque if you are going to be able to do it. This takes time. I don’t know your skills or education, but look to make as much cash as you can for your war chest.
Educate yourself and inoculate yourself from the JW mind control. You will have to still be in it, but you sure don’t have to believe it! Keep researching and also find something to learn about that you would like. You are free to pursue your interests now, so enjoy that freedom!
If you are going to fade, then it is a long game. You need to habituate yourself with performing a role. You are acting. You need to learn your lines and play the part convincingly. It is not easy, but it can be done, and you will be able to do it. Remember, to fade you must move in-perceptively, and give your loved ones no sudden, jarring changes.
Good luck!
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
@Excelsior. You DEFINITELY Will HELP a LOT of JWs who are Gradually Waking up to the Real Truth about the Truth! Your point by point analysis of How to ESCAPE the ENTRAPMENT & MIND CONTROL Techniques of the 7 AMERICAN MEN is Excellent Advice!
I just wanted to thank you for making these videos available. The actual nature of these false shepherds, is made obvious.
Given the scale of criminals being covered up. Jehovah witnesses are a worldwide organization. Their policies affect millions, especially to the two-witness rule. That policy alone goes against the law of the land in most countries. Given the magnitude of this scandal, will other governmental authorities follow the goal commissions lead and open up investigations into the Jehovah witnesses in America/ Canada?
I applied the two Witness rule, had multiple witnesses, and was still discredited and slandered and shot down in my case of another nature. The two witness rule is meaningless. Accept the testimony of the victim and proceed with judgement. If God is wants to stop it, let him. If he doesn’t, he supports the victim and not his own two witness rule. Put it to the test.
What hypocrisy and shame is behind the WT Corporation!! They speak alot about loving their neighbors and brothers but provide no protection from child molesters.
Common sense, and a normal human conscience tells you that you need to warn those who are in touch with a rapist. They do not warn the Congregation or authorities about molesters in their midst. Even when molesters confess, they keep that information from others.
How is that showing love? Didn’t Jesus condemn the Pharisees for caring more about policies than showing mercy and compassion to the weak?
There needs to be some way we can prepare a tract or brochure exposing this evil, delusional, power hungry cult to the public. We then would need to distribute it publicly and from house to house. That way we can expose them at their own game.